Philip and Alexander: Kings and Conquerors

Alexander the Great is considered to be one of the greatest, and most egotistical, conquerors of the ancient world. He took what was a fairly minor Greek state on the northern edge of modern Greece and turned it into a powerhouse, albeit for a very short period of time. Like all bright stars, his burned bright and brief.

This work is a dual biography of Alexander and his father Philip. The first half covers how Philip laid the groundwork, condensing power in Macedonia, going after Greek city-states that threatened him, and living long enough to be able to allow his son the untold power he would soon enjoy. The story of Alexander is one that has often been told. He disrupted centuries of power relationships in a matter of years and set off events that would reverberate for centuries to come in what we now call the Middle East.

The first part of the book I found to be the most interesting, as the stories about Philip are generally condensed. The author’s discussion of Alexander really covers the same well-trodden ground as every other biography of Alexander.